Sheet treating method and apparatus



A 1942- J. E. ERHARDT. JR 2,292,782

SHEET TREATING METHOD AND APPARATUS I Original Filed Sept. 25,1940

Qlbhn Patented Aug. 11, 1942 N 2292,1821 -sruaarr TREATING METHOD-AND" p p ,arrmrus, John E. Erhardt, In, Baltimore-Md, to Crown Cork & Seal Company, 'Inc., Baltimore, f Md, acorporation of New-York;- ,7

Original application septomboizsgiaio; Serial Divided and this application I February 1 941, SerialNo, 378,817

a Claims. (cur-12.1) equipped with infeed' rolls 124 and and, out- This invention is concerned with a pickling, washing, and platingsystem for metal sheets or 1 strip, the application being a division of the application of Robert H. Scott and myself, Serial No. 358,358, filed September 25, 1940. y g

In that application we disclose a system for feeding sheets and passing themin a continuously moving line through a pickling and washing unitup to and through. a tin pot. The present application is directed to that part of the original disclosure concerned with method and means for treating the sheets -as- -they pass from Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section with parts in elevation of a system embodying the invention. p t 1:

Figure 2 shows in elevation the main drive input for the system of Figure l, and

Figure 3 shows in axial section a certain transmission elementof the systemof Figure 2. ll.

feed rolls and 21, and between the roll sets is a guide 28 composed of suitably spaced bars supported in longitudinally extending relation to I the tank." Spray pipes 29 and I0 extendlhorizontally above andbelowpgixide 28, respectively. Pipes 29 and' 30 a'rein connection withthetwater Between'the pickling and washing--.tanksis a guide 22 whichcomprises upperand lower spaced apart series of longitudinally extending arcuate I bars.

, An apron extends between the departing end of thewashing tank and the entering'end of the flux box D and is formed with a transverse 'channel 34 in which is, d osed a pipe adapted to deliver an upwardspray or mist, this pip'e' being j connectedwlth the supplypipetl through'aiglobe valve or-the like 36, jSpaced above pipe]! in parallel relationthereto-is'a spray pipe 11 which i is connected to the supply pipe 31 through aglobe or other suitablevalve 38. -.Thispipe n1ay be provided with a plurality of nozzles as at and is designed to deliver a 'sprayjor mist in a downward direction.

The tin pot has the reference numerals 40 and 41, the bite ofthese Referring to the'drawing, A indicates generally means for receiving sheets in tandem from a stack and discharging them in abreast relation, B designates the pickling and washing unit, and C the tin pot which includes a flux box D.

The apparatus A receives its power from a motor ll which from a shaft also drives the stack feeder. It is believed to be unnecessary to describe this apparatus in detail, since so far as rolls being at the departing extremityofj apron Referring to Figure 2, drive from any suitablesource of "power comes to a sprocket on the far'end of "shaft ll of'roll ll through a chain 2. According to the present v invention, a sprocket 42 on shaft II is connected by a chain 44 with a sprocket 45, Figure 3. Sprocket 45 is bolted to a sprocket 48 through a radial flange 41 of a sleeve 48 rotatable on a jack shaft 49 suitably secured to a portion of frame the invention to-be claimed herein is concerned, I! below and between rolls 25 and 21. A chain any suitable type of sheet or strip feeder, feeding either singly or abreast, may be utilized. The

particular abreast feeding mechanism indicated I at A is fully described and claimed in the parent application.

Journaled on the frame of the feeder A is a magnetic roll it beyond which is an inclined chute ll terminating at unit B. The latter comprises a frame ll supporting a pickling tank It .with infeed rolls l1 and I8 and outfeed rolls II and 2|. Arcuate guide means 2| disposed between the infeed and outfeed rolls dips below the indicated level of the picklingsolution.

Beyond tank I i frame It supports on an ele- Il connects sprocket 40 with'sprockets ii and 52 on shafts 25' and 21' of rolls 25 and 21. Sprocket 5| has a similar sprocket coaxially secured thereto and connected through a chain 52 with a sprocket fixed on shaft 20' of'roll 20 and to a coaxial sprocket 54. The latter is connected through a chain IS with a sprocket 5i fixed on shaft I8 of roll it and a sprocket co- I axially fixed to sprocket 58 is connected-through a chain 81 with a sprocket 58 on the shaft 13' of the magnetic roll [2. All sprockets beginning with sprocket 43 up to sprocket 56 are ofthe v same size except for possible variation as will vated portion nthereof a washing tank a be h re naf r d cri ed- 'I pickling; and

I, r conventional feed rolls, 3 those of the initial-pair being designated'by' the it is hereass i'iniledh that,

washing rolls are all of the same diameter and are of rubber or the like.

In the operation of the system, the fed sheets (or strips, as the case may be) take the course of the dot and dash line L. They are first passed through the picking solution, then via guide 32 to the infeed set of washer rolls where much of the pickling solution is squeezed off As they leave the infeed rolls both surfaces of the sheets are thoroughly washed by spray from pipes 29 and 30. The outfeed rolls :6 and 21 squeeze the washing fluid from the sheets and discharge them in dry and clean condition. The sheets are now uniformly sprayed either top or bottom or both from spraying pipes 35 and 31 with clean water so that the sheets reach the flux box with one or both surfaces in uniformlyv moistened condition.

As the sheets pass through the stratum of flux in the box D, the moisture is caused to boil, setting up violent agitation directly at and throughout the surfaces of, the sheets and thus enabling the flux to come into intimate and uniform contact with the sheet surfaces. Ordinarily it will be sufiicient to moisten the top surfaces only of the sheets, since natural agitation of the flux beneath the sheets is conducive to a thorough contact there under ordinary conditions. j

While the spray or mist creating devices are shown as connected to the water supply, ordinarily cold, they may instead be connected to a steam supply. Steam directed against the sheets condenses and the condensate boils as the sheets enter the hot flux. The application of a heated fluid has the advantage of raising the temperature of the sheets so that their cooling effect on the flux is reduced.

It will be observed that instead of letting the washing fluid through, the sheets are dried as a result of the squeegee effect of the outfeed rolls and clean fluid is thereafter applied. To avoid contamination of the flux, the acid-laden washing fluid is removed, and clean fluid is then applied in such proximity to the tin pot that the sheets will enter theflux with one or both surfaces in moistened condition. Extremely efficient action ,"of the flux is obtained bythe described treatment. V g The peripheral speeds of the rolls of the pickling and washing unit and of the tin pot should be the same. However, in use, the tin pot rolls become pitted and have to be machined, thereby reducing their circumference and, hence, their peripheral. speed relative to that of the rolls of the pickling and washing unit. The latter rolls being of rubber maintain their original circumference comparatively indefinitely. It is, therefore, most desirable that synchronization be re- I storabie through suitable adjustment means.

In order that this adjustment may be accomplished I- have provided the readily removable jack shaft sprockets l5 and 46 and, for example,

- by replacing sprocket "with a sprocket having one or more additional teeth, synchronization can be readily restored. Other ratio changing means may be utilized, but I have found the replaceable sprocket to be simple and satisfactory in use. An adjustable idler may be provided for the affected chain inorder that the same may be properly tensioned for sprockets of different sizes.

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible of variation in embodiment and consequently I do not limit myself to details of the disclosure herein except as in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus cf the class described comprising a sheet pickling and washing unit including sheet drying means at the outfeed end, a-tin pot including a flux box, means for feeding sheets through said unit and into said flux box, and means between said drying means and said flux box for supplying moisture uniformly to at least one of the surfaces of the sheets so that the sheets reach'the flux box with their said surfaces in moistened condition- 2. Apparatus of the class described-comprising a sheet pickling and washing unit including sheet drying means :at the outfeed end, a tin pot including a flux box, means for feeding sheets through said unit and into said flux box, and means between said drying means and said flux box for supplying steam uniformly to at least one of the surfaces of the sheets so that the sheets reach the flux box with their said surfaces in moistened condition.

3. The method which comprises treating sheet with a pickling solution, washing the sheet subsequent to the pickling treatment to completely remove the solution therefrom, drying the sheet, uniformly moistening at least one surface of the sheet, and passing the sheet into a body of flux while in moistened condition. I

JOHN E. ERHARDT, JR. 

